1/2 live semi-bluff on 4th street

[spacemonkey 0]

This was an interesting hand from my session tonight at the 1/2 NL game at the MGM Grand. It's 1am and the table went from 10 to 6 handed in about 4 hands. In the two rounds since then I've gone from what appeared to be a rather tight style to loose/aggressive winning something like 5 out of the last 12 pots without showing a hand. This was partially due to my actually picking up a few hands and also that's the way I play shorthanded, particularly once the loose players left.I am Under the Gun (six-handed) with $136. Villian is Big Blind with about a hundred more than me and seems like a solid player. I'm dealt A:club: Q and raise to $7. Folded around to the Villian who calls.Pot: $15Flop: K:club: 6:diamond: 3:club:Villian checks, Hero bets $8, Villian raises to $20, Hero CallsPot: $55Turn [K:club: 6:diamond: 3:club:] J:club:Villian bets $25, Hero raises to $109 (all-in)Preflop raise was standard as was the continuation bet. Considered folding to the check/raise but it was small and I didn't want to give people the impression they could run over my continuation bets so easily. I figured him for KQ, KJ, KT or perhaps TT-77. Also the A:club: gave me the opportunity to represent the nut flush if it hit on 4th. On turn I pick up the nut flush draw and a gutshot and figure there's a good chance he'll fold to my bet and I figure to have 12-17 outs if he does call (12 vs KJ, 15vs KQ, 17 vs 88 ).Flop call is a little sketchy, I know, but I wanted to send a message. The turn is the more interesting decision since a call is also reasonable. I went with the riskier alternative and wonder what you guys think about it.

[teneight 1]

fold the flop. i dont know why you called. He has you covered and he showed strenght on the flop. I'm sure he is going tocall you on the turn after he shows more strength.fold the flop, make a play later on, when you have more chips to mess around with.

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

Eh, I've seen/done worse.You're going to get a call, I'm guessing. He has to pay 74 to win 189. I think he calls with any K; atleast he probably should, given your table image.Did you think you might be down to 7 outs? Maybe that he already had the made flush?

[macphec 0]

This line isn't terrible but it is risky.I think the flop call for meta game purposes isn't too bad but I'd like to have a lot more chips than you do to make these plays.I do like the turn push as I'd feel pretty comitted to the hand at this point.You are representing a made flush (esp given you flat calle dthe flop raise)The big key here is that you have the AcExpect a call though

[Scott3705 0]

I'm 50/50 here. I like the move on the turn at a live game. online, i'm saying you're probably getting too fancy. the flop call I think is bad. in order to justify the flop call, you need to have a read that he's weak and putting out a feeler bet. In which case I may reraise teh flop. Conclusion: flop bad, turn good.

[ChrisOfSpades 0]

nobody puts villian on set of 6s? seems like the kind of hand that would call a preflop raise, check/raise the flop, and make weakish, call-me bet into the turn. as far as the turn play...meh...i'd have folded to the flop check/raise, and moving all-in here seems exactly like the kind of thing villain wants you to do.of course, i could be overestimating villian's hand, but i wouldnt be overly excited to get all my chips in. even if he doesn't have the set, you're still behind and squeezing your cheeks real hard hoping he folds, or a club rivers.

[spacemonkey 0]

I'm not defending my flop call as +EV for that hand. I didn't want to be seen folding to a $12 raise with a $43 pot. At that point I felt like he probably had a king and was testing his kicker. A flush draw or a set didn't seem likely.When the J:club: hits I can represent several hands by moving in - JJ, KJ, or the Flush. When I move in there's $105 in the pot and I'm raising $84 more. I figure to have enough outs that if I get called I'm only losing $30-38 in equity. If he folds more than 1/3 of the time it's worth moving in. Particularly since most of my outs put a 4th club on the board and mean he'd have a hard time paying me off.

[petersun 0]

I'd like to hear if you had a read on his turn bet. Did you sense weakness?

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

nobody puts villian on set of 6s? seems like the kind of hand that would call a preflop raise, check/raise the flop, and make weakish, call-me bet into the turn. as far as the turn play...meh...i'd have folded to the flop check/raise, and moving all-in here seems exactly like the kind of thing villain wants you to do.of course, i could be overestimating villian's hand, but i wouldnt be overly excited to get all my chips in. even if he doesn't have the set, you're still behind and squeezing your cheeks real hard hoping he folds, or a club rivers.

I don't know.I think villain folds enough to make this an okay play. I'm not convinced it's our best course of action all the time, but, might as well utilize position while we have it.

[Merby 3]

This was an interesting hand from my session tonight at the 1/2 NL game at the MGM Grand. It's 1am and the table went from 10 to 6 handed in about 4 hands. In the two rounds since then I've gone from what appeared to be a rather tight style to loose/aggressive winning something like 5 out of the last 12 pots without showing a hand. This was partially due to my actually picking up a few hands and also that's the way I play shorthanded, particularly once the loose players left.Preflop raise was standard as was the continuation bet. Considered folding to the check/raise but it was small and I didn't want to give people the impression they could run over my continuation bets so easily.Flop call is a little sketchy, I know, but I wanted to send a message. The turn is the more interesting decision since a call is also reasonable. I went with the riskier alternative and wonder what you guys think about it.

The portions in bold list the key reasons I fold to his check-raise. It's live, so I would also laugh while folding: make him think you had junk! Then play tight for the next little while and get paid off. You have established a loose and aggressive image, I think it is time to punctuate the point by making the table think you play any two cards. Perhaps ask if your "queen high" was good enough, show the queen while sliding he ace into the muck.Doing the above will set you up to have your *solid* hands get paid off for the rest of the night. You have become predictably LAG: the opponent knows to count on your continuation bet, so I expect him to more likely lead out in a hand that he misses but wants to contest. I am liable to believe his check-raise, hence, I fold.Cheers,Merby

[spacemonkey 0]

It's an interesting point in the game for my table image. While I'd just picked up a bunch of pots I'd probably only won 6 in the two hours before we got shorthanded. The player I was up against had been sitting with me the whole time and seemed observant enough to notice what had been tight play. I'm not real sure what he was thinking at the time.After I made my move he took a real long time to make his decision. He counted out the call, rechecked his cards a few times, picked them up like he was going to fold. I guess he was looking for a tell and eventually made the call with KJ - top two pair. I put him on the right range of hands and given how long it took him to call I think he would have folded KQ and definitely KT. So if we consider his hand range as KQ, KJ, KT I think he folds 8/11 times for a sizeable +EV.One thing I haven't mentioned that may have worked against me was that after I was check-raised I double-checked my hole cards. If he noticed that it was a fairly strong indication that I didn't have the flush draw. And not that it matters (to you) but I spiked a club on the river to take it down.

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

It's an interesting point in the game for my table image. While I'd just picked up a bunch of pots I'd probably only won 6 in the two hours before we got shorthanded. The player I was up against had been sitting with me the whole time and seemed observant enough to notice what had been tight play. I'm not real sure what he was thinking at the time.After I made my move he took a real long time to make his decision. He counted out the call, rechecked his cards a few times, picked them up like he was going to fold. I guess he was looking for a tell and eventually made the call with KJ - top two pair. I put him on the right range of hands and given how long it took him to call I think he would have folded KQ and definitely KT. So if we consider his hand range as KQ, KJ, KT I think he folds 8/11 times for a sizeable +EV.One thing I haven't mentioned that may have worked against me was that after I was check-raised I double-checked my hole cards. If he noticed that it was a fairly strong indication that I didn't have the flush draw. And not that it matters (to you) but I spiked a club on the river to take it down.

If not more.A lot of people lay down top 2 on this board.

[offmandh 0]

fold the flop. i dont know why you called. He has you covered and he showed strenght on the flop. I'm sure he is going tocall you on the turn after he shows more strength.fold the flop, make a play later on, when you have more chips to mess around with.

agweed

[offmandh 0]

fold the flop. i dont know why you called. He has you covered and he showed strenght on the flop. I'm sure he is going tocall you on the turn after he shows more strength.fold the flop, make a play later on, when you have more chips to mess around with.

agweed

[Merby 3]

One thing I haven't mentioned that may have worked against me was that after I was check-raised I double-checked my hole cards. If he noticed that it was a fairly strong indication that I didn't have the flush draw. And not that it matters (to you) but I spiked a club on the river to take it down.

It's true, that knowing the outcome is irrelevant to this discussion, but... it's nice to hear the result. Otherwise it's like reading a book only to find out the last chapter is missing -- kind of frustrating.Cheers,Merby